As we approach the beginning of another school year, there are still a lot of questions about the health and safety of staff and students during the pandemic. At this time the pros and cons are pretty evenly divided. There are those who want to delay the return and continue home schooling. There are those, possibly a majority of parents, who want their children to attend school five days a week. Then there are those who support a modified school week, perhaps with students going two days a week, and doing on-line learning during the other two days. Schools would do deep cleaning during the fifth day. Transportation to and from the schools will have to be reviewed and restrictions implemented to protect school-bus drivers and commuting students alike.
Then one has the psychologists who believe that children should return to full school weeks with the applicable safety measures in place in the classroom and on the school grounds. This would include physical distancing (e.g. desks 6 feet apart) and teachers wearing personal protective equipment (e.g. masks, gloves, hand sanitizers). The psychologists argue that being in school will improve a child’s mental health and socialization. Educators also now believe that on-learning learning is no substitute for classroom instruction, as demonstrated by their experience during the last few months.
Next, we have the working parents who want to return to work and have no child-care alternatives available, particularly in light of the cost and lack of appropriate child-care nationally. If any further reopening of the economy is to effectively proceed, working parents need to have their children in school for five days at least. In addition, children with special needs have greatly been affected by the lost of in-school services and learning assistance. Most parents cannot afford to provide private assistance to children with learning disabilities.
Finally, there are the concerns of associations representing teachers and staff in the schools. All are concerned that sufficient health and safety measure will be in place, including much needed PPE and physical distancing measures. In order to implement such measures effectively, some teachers’ unions are proposing that additional teachers and staff be hired. Those teachers with underlying health issues may even refuse to return to school, despite applicable preventative measures being implemented. This reluctance is especially understandable if the coronavirus infection rates do not level off as was hoped by public health officials.
There is little time left for school authorities to decide one way or another about reopening the schools. Pressures are emerging from everywhere and the issues are complicated, especially in anticipation of a potential second wave of COVID-19 in the fall. Local, county, state and provincial school authorities will soon have to disclose their final decisions in order to allow parents and students to prepare for the reopening. Simply stating that schools should be reopened is not enough!
FROLITICKS 
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